Chapter 7

Emma didn't come out of her room for the majority of the day after Mally's party, instead spending the time curled up in bed reading the book Regina had sent her, nibbling on fruit and nuts that her mother had sent up for her so she wouldn't starve, at the same time insisting that she come down for dinner later. She had also made sure the girl was ok, and knew why they had sent Baelfire away. While Emma was glad her parents knew and that her Aunt Mally had been the one to tell them, she was still upset and shaken by the whole thing, so glad that her mother told her that she could spend the day however she wanted, and yes that included lounging in bed all day if she wanted to.

The young blond read the book non-stop from the moment her mother left her room, so much so that when she did finally leave her room, the book tucked safely under her pillow, she had read nearly all of it, drinking in every single word the woman had written about her life. Emma felt more and more upset for the woman who had had so many wrongs done to her, but was still blamed for everything. A woman who in the end, felt the only way to feel something was to have people fear her, for if they were terrified of her, at least they felt something for her.

Emma was planning to write to Regina after dinner with her parents, to see if she could send more books later, but also to see if the woman would be willing to meet her. It had only been a day, but the young blond felt empty inside now that she was not in the elder brunette's presence. Happy that she had a plan for later, the young Princess wondered down to dinner, entering the room to find it empty. Shocked that her parents were not in the room, the Princess took her place and waited for the royal couple to arrive.

Twenty minutes later and they still had not arrived. Emma, becoming bored and hungry, had rang for the servants to bring her dinner, she ate alone, wondering what her parents could be doing that caused them to be late. Crinkling her nose at the horrible thought that went through her mind "Eww, Eww why did I think that" she admonished herself. Shaking her head praying that the image of her parents going at it would leave, she turned her thoughts to Regina and her letter. Remembering what the woman had said about magic being all about emotion, Emma turned towards the table and thought about what she wanted, staring at the swords that hung on the wall. As good as she had gotten at a great many things, she was still unable to hold a floatation spell for more than a few seconds.

Thinking of the older Queen brought a happy feeling to her chest, letting the feeling fill her to the point that she could see the faint lilac glow around her finger tips. Focusing on the wall of swords again, she willed each and every one to rise off the wall, watching in glee as each of the six heavy swords floated off their perch and into the air. Happy that she had been able to do this, the Princess once more allowed her feelings for the brunette Queen to fill her again and watched as the swords floated higher and higher until the touched the beams of the room.

Forgetting where she was, Emma didn't hear her parents come into the room, staring in shock at their daughter who had her hand pointed towards the floating swords surrounded in a lilac glow. Snow gasped loudly causing her daughters head to whip around to face them, before flinching when a loud clang rang through the room where the heavy weapons landed on the floor.

Silence rang out through the room, each person more shocked than the next, Emma because she knew she was busted now and her parents because they had no idea their daughter had magic, which immediately caused them to worry. "Emma" Snow stared, "How long have you been able to do that" she asked her daughter carefully, hoping that the girl had only just learnt about it so didn't understand what she was doing.

Emma looked away from her parents, staring at the table in front of her before mumbling an answer as quietly as possible. "Emma, could you repeat that please. You know I don't like it when you mumble" her mother scorned. Lifting her head, Emma looked directly into her mother's eyes and spoke clearly "Since I was fourteen" causing Snow to look faint and Charming to look even more shocked than before. "And how did you come to learn of these... powers, Emma". Terrified that they would destroy the East Wing if they found out, Emma looked at the table again "Aunt Mally has been teaching me a little, nothing big, just how to float objects, you know for fun. I didn't think you would mind" the lie slipped out easily, and since her parents thought she never lied to them or couldn't lie to them, Emma looked up again and tried to make herself look like she wasn't lying through her teeth.

They seemed to believe her if their suddenly relaxed forms were any indication. "Ok Emma, just don't get pulled into it too much. All magic comes with a price, and sometimes that price is too high, your Aunt Ella learnt that the hard way when we tried to deal with Rumpelstiltskin before you were born." Nodding her understanding, Emma carefully steered the conversation away from her magic, thankful that her parents had bought the lie. She didn't want to scare them, knowing the past they had with magic, but thinking that she would never use it the way the Dark One had or even the Evil Queen, as much as she admired the strength the woman had to do what she had.

Dinner after that passed normally, Emma sat listening to her parents talk about things concerning the guards and the palace in general. While half listening to her parents talk Emma zoned out slightly, thinking of the book she so desperately wanted to finish, before jerking back into reality when she heard the name Regina mentioned quietly. "Who's Regina" she asked interrupting her parent's conversation, wondering who they were talking about or if they knew the woman she had met last evening.

"No-one you need to know about sweetie, just someone from your Fathers and my past". Snow smiled at her daughter at first, releasing a small sigh when she saw the look on her daughters face that said she was in for a lot of questions. "But who is she? Why haven't I met her if you were friends? Or were you not friends and that's why I have never met her? Is she an enemy? Why didn't I ever learn about her in my lessons if that the case?" Emma reeled off question after question before her father finally shouted over her "EMMA!" stopping her mid sentence. Looking upset at her father shouting at her, Emma turned to her mother once more "Well... Who is she?" she demanded once more.

Snow, seeing no way out of it, pushed her plate away and reached for her husband's hand. "Regina is my former Step-mother. She married your grandfather, my father when I was only twelve years old. She was more like a sister to me when I was growing up as we were so close in age, but I loved her all the same. She is the reason you have never met your grandfather, and her mother the reason you never met your grandmother." Snow looked sad at the thought of her own parents, how they would have loved Emma, doted on her like the loving people they were "She blamed me for ruining her life so set out to make mine a living hell, or kill me, whichever came first I think." Again Snow looked sad, this time at the memory of the beautiful and kind woman she had known as a child before everything was ruined.

Emma looked confused "But why have I never heard of her, surly something like this should have been in the books, but I've never heard of a Regina that was this bad" Emma finished looking between her parents again. Taking a deep breath, Snow looked at her husband once more, seeing the small nod he gave her, letting her know he would be fine with whatever decision she came to. "That would be because she wasn't written as Regina in any of the books." Taking another deep breath Snow looked at her daughter with an intense gaze. "She was put in under the name 'The Evil Queen' for that is what she became known as throughout the lands".

Emma's mouth dropped open is shock "Queen Regina is the Evil Queen?" she whispered suddenly hoping that the woman she had met last night was not the same person as she had made a complete fool of herself if she was. Watching as her mother nodded in acknowledgment of the question, Emma suddenly jumped up from her chair and sprinted for the stairs. She had to know the truth.


In her chambers within the Forbidden Fortress, Regina was lounging on her chaise with a book she had found in the library. Turning the page carefully, the Dark Queen felt the light tingling of magic within the room and looked around before finally spotting the pale yellow paper floating onto her vanity.

Marking her place in the book, Regina picked up the message, hoping that it was from Emma. Opening the envelope she unfolded the single sheet of paper that was inside, her face dropping when she read what was written in the delicate cursive of the young Princess.

Dropping the paper, Regina allowed herself to drop to the chair placing her head in her hands and she stared at the floor. The note floated to the floor to land between her feet, the word the blond had written glaring up at her:

Are you the Evil Queen?


I know Emma is obsessed with the Evil Queen, but Regina doesn't know to what extent, so the message from Emma, in her eyes is something to be afraid of.

They will meet again, don't worry.

Until next time

SP x